Once Upon a One-Shot: Beyond the Fairytale
by KMD88
Summary: A collection of OUAT one-shots requested for me to write on tumblr. Just a heads up I am a Captain Swan shipper so please keep that in mind when reading and/or requesting a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**The Prompt:** Robin Hood is Snow's mentor

Snow exhaled slowly, keeping her eye on the target that she had crudely painted onto the scarred trunk of a large tree. Her fingers released the arrow, the line snapped against her cold cheek, slapping it like a drunk father who was disappointed in his child for missing their mark. The arrow soared through the woods landing several feet from her intended target.

She made a sound that was unfit for a princess, tossing the bow onto the ground at her feet. It was pointless. She was no good at this. She was never good at anything. She couldn't save her mother from dying, she couldn't save Regina, her step-mother and Queen of the Enchanted Forest, from taking over her Kingdom and she couldn't save the people she was meant to protect.

Regina was right all along. She was nothing more than a nuisance, she wasn't intended for a throne. How was she to rule a kingdom when she couldn't even hit an unmoving tree with an arrow?

"Little fox," called out the familiar voice of her mentor, Robin. She turned to him, pursing her lips tightly together. "It's because you have too much tension," he told her, plucking the bow off of the forest floor.

Snow placed her small hands on her narrow hips and sighed. "I've carried too much tension since I was a little girl and..."

"You know just as well as I do that wasn't the tension I meant." He lifted the bow, holding it with ease as he knocked a slim arrow into place. "Focus on your target, and only your target. Ignore everything around you, become one with the heart, think as your target would think." He released the arrow. It glided with finesse through the cluttered trees, slamming against the hollow tree with a loud thunk.

"How can I become one with a tree?" she asked with a wirey smile planted firmly on her pale, pink lips.

Robin chose to ignore her taunting, releasing another arrow into the air. It spiraled down the same path of its predecessor, splitting the makeshift arrow into two as it slipped into its place. Show off, Snow thought slumping against a large, gray boulder from behind her.

Robin joined her, leaping in top of the rock with a subtle grunt. He pulled his leg up to his chest and began to mess with the string of the bow. His fingers plucked at the quivering line creating short, humming sounds. They sat in their own silence for a while, content in the fall sun that poured through the canopy of large, pine trees. Snow listened to the birds in the far off distance, chirping in delight at one another as the wind rustled the fallen pine needles that littered the forest floor.

A slight chill began to bite through Snow's cloak and she involuntarily shivered. Robin slid off the boulder, offering a gloved hand for her to take. "Let's get something warm to eat. I think that's enough practice for today and Little John probably has supper prepared already."

Snow took one last glance at the tree with the split arrow protruding from its bark. Even in death the tree still bled sap from its open wound. She found herself wondering if she would ever heal from Regina's betrayal or if she too would forever bleed even beyond death.

"Thinking of your old friend again?" Robin asked, slinging the bow over his shoulder. Snow furrowed her dark brows and frowned. "Your eyes tend to glaze over when you are lost in thought about her," he explained, looking to the tree that Snow had miserably failed to hit.

"Old wounds heal, little fox," he quietly said, his eyes distant and unfocused. "It's the new ones that bleed. If you keep picking at the scabs then how are they to truly heal?"

Snow's gaze fell back to the tree, watching the sap ooze slowly down. Old wounds heal, she repeated to herself thinking of how much pain she and Regina had inadvertently caused one another, and the pain that Regina cut at Snow thereafter.

"Are you saying I should forgive her?" Snow asked, almost offended.

Robin's eyes snapped back to reality, falling back to Snow. He gave her a small smile, then shook his head. "You have to forgive yourself first and foremost. That's the only bandage for old wounds that refuse to heal."

Snow stood up, holding out her hands. "Can I try a few more times to hit the target before we head back to camp?"

Robin's smile widened, even reaching to his eyes. He handed her the bow, and then an arrow, helping her hold it properly. She exhaled slowly, focusing on the target. Her fingers released the arrow.

Robin placed his hand on her bony shoulder. "Faint hearts never won fair lady." She stared at the arrow that stuck from the middle of her uneven circle painted on the tree. "This will be your best performance yet."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Prompt: **Snow suggests that Neal be the one to find Emma but Neal tells them why he shouldn't and then Charming suggests Hook.

"You must find Emma," pleaded Snow, her eyes giant orbs of fleeting hope. "We lost her once, I cannot lose her again."

Charming placed a gloved hand on his wife's growing stomach. She could go into labor at any time really. He couldn't just leave her, not with the threats that surrounded their unborn child. Out of the many things he loved about Snow was her ability to keep herself safe. But, she was far too pregnant to be launching arrows at an enemy invasion.

A small grin slipped onto his face as he felt a strong kick at the palm of his hand. It reminded him of his final moments with Emma before she was born. His fingers stretched to their full length along Snow's stomach. Charming was torn. He wanted to be there for Snow, he owed it to her as her husband and to their unborn child as a father. But, he owed it to Emma to be there for her as well.

The curse that Regina had cast twenty-nine years ago took away Emma from himself and Snow. The family they dreamed of was torn from them all. Emma had grown up as an orphan without her parents to love her and to teach her how to ride a horse or wield a sword. There were so many things he wanted to do with Emma and now she was an adult and it was far too late.

Returning to her world in Manhattan to help return her memories that Pan had taken of the last few months of their reunion as a family was the honorable thing to do. It was the right thing to do. It was the fatherly this to do. He owed it to Emma to be her father.

"No offense Mate," spoke Killian, the notorious Captain Hook and Captain of the Royal Guard, "but don't you think it would be a lot to take in if a man that was almost the same age as her appeared at her doorstep and claimed to be her father?"

Charming frowned realizing that Killian was right. It took months of Emma being in Storybrooke before she believed her son, Henry about the curse and the truth to the stories in his fairytale book. Logical Emma would call the cops the moment he told her anything about the Enchanted Forest and the truth of her heritage.

"True loves kiss!" Snow exclaimed darting her eager gaze to Neal. The son of the Dark One and father of Henry raised both of his thick eyebrows high. "It's the most powerful thing in the world. Maybe it will trigger Emma's memory."

Charming grimaced. He wasn't so sure about that. When Snow had lost her memory he had attempted a true love kiss and was knocked unconscious. If he knew anything about Emma it was how eerily alike she was when it came to Snow's steely resolve.

"You have to go, Neal," Snow told him. "She will remember you even without the curse of losing her memory. It'll be easier to explain."

Neal shifted where he stood. "I don't know about that," he replied, rubbing the back of his dark hair. "Emma still thinks I abandoned her in jail and never came looking for her. If anything she'll be angry the second she sees me."

"But if you kiss her—"

"It won't do anything," Neal nearly cried. The room went suddenly silently. Even the tiny kicks against Charming's hand had ceased. Neal cleared his throat, shifting his gaze between each person in the room before they landed back to Snow. "I'm not Emma's true love. Maybe I never was. I asked her for a second chance but I had plenty of second chances before I even asked."

He inhaled deeply, his chest shook as he exhaled through his mouth. "I could have told her everything from the beginning, and I didn't. I could have disregarded Pinocchio's warning and I didn't. Instead I sent her to jail because I thought it was the right thing to do. I could have gone to Storybrooke after the curse was broken and tried to redeem myself but I chose my normal life with Tamara."

Suddenly he laughed. Charming looked to Snow, then to Hook who both wore similar expressions of twisted brows and pursed lips. However, Neal continued to speak listing reasons as to why he was not Emma's true love.

"Snow, you and Charming always find each other," he solemnly told her, "and all I've ever done is run in the opposite direction of where Emma was."

Snow shook her head, desperate to hold on to her belief that Neal was Emma's true love. "But she found you. Isn't that enough?"

Charming wasn't convinced. He liked Neal, a lot. He made a lot of mistakes in the past, but who didn't? Charming would have very much liked to see Neal and Emma happily ever after together. Not only would Emma have the family she deserved but so would Henry.

But, happy endings weren't always standard. What worked for some didn't work for others. Neal was right. He loved Emma, that much was plain to see, but when you truly loved someone you did what you could do keep them safe. You found them at all costs when you were separated. And, your heart belonged only to them.

"Going to Manhattan would result in a lot of heartache that I don't think is fair to make Emma remember again while telling her that her entire life is nothing but a lie."

"I agree," muttered Charming, nodding to Neal in approval.

Snow frowned. "Then what do we do? Should we ask Ariel…"

"I'll go," volunteered Killian. All eyes fell to him. "I can use the Jolly Roger to fly there with some pixie dust from Tink."

"You only want to go because you think you love Emma," commented Neal. No one disagreed. Not even Killian.

He coolly let an easy smile sprawl across his face. "It is no secret that I care for Emma," he admitted, turning his smirk into a solid grin, "but I think out of everyone here I am the best candidate in returning her memory. She won't be angry at me for abandoning her for one." He then slyly added, "not that I have."

"You left us in a cell after Cora locked us up," sputtered Snow.

"And I deeply regret that but I think my actions since then have proven my sorrow," he told Snow.

She rolled her eyes but there was the smallest hint of a smile on her lips. Killian spotted the upturn in the corner of her mouth but looked away to lock eyes with Charming once again. "I will find your daughter and I will do everything I can to help her," he promised.

His blue eyes were darker than the sea at night as he stared hard at Charming, his smile vanished completely. "I may have just been a pirate, and I have done a lot of less than honorable things but you were once nothing more than a farmer's son." He then slowly turned his softened gaze to Snow, "and you nothing more than a bandit wanted by the Queen." Snow's face drained of any color as she diverted her gaze to Charming's hand. "I have found Emma before. I will do it again."

Snow blinked. She titled he chin toward her husband. "What do you think?"

Charming removed his hand from her stomach. He took several long strides to where the former pirate stood placing his hands on his broad shoulders. Killian held his chin high, his gaze hardened once again.

He steered Killian to the window where they overlooked the Jolly Roger sitting at the castle docks. He had faith in his new friend. Despite their rocky start there was a quality that Killain had that Charming saw in himself. One that Emma very much deserved in her life.

"Let me explain a tricky catch to the true love kiss," Charming warned with a hint of a smile, "sometimes, they hit back."


	3. Chapter 3

**The prompt**: Neal and Belle go to the Underworld to save Rumple but Hades has an offer they can't say no to.

The Underworld hadn't exactly been what Neal was expecting. He had seen the movies, read the books, thought of it as a scary place where souls were left to spend eternity in a pitted hell. It wasn't like he had planned to find his way into the Underworld. After his father Rumplestilskin, sacrificed himself it was his girlfriend, Belle, who discovered that his soul had been sent to a place even Neal thought was legend. Together he and Belle decided to go to the Underworld and retrieve Rumple's soul.

With, Belle at Neal's side the two of them crossed the River Styx complete with a ferryman shrouded in a moth-eaten cloak. They paid in full, two coins each, and stepped in front of the looming gates of the Underworld.

Belle glanced up, craning her neck so that she could see the skulls that sat atop the spikes of the metal gate. "Is isn't exactly inviting, is it?"

"I'm sure they've rolled out the welcome mat," said Neal, looking nervously around him. It was too quiet. "We just haven't reached it."

On cue, as if someone had been listening, heavy breathing sounded behind the gates. Belle stepped forward, holding her hands tightly in the folds of her skirt, and walked through the entrance. Neal followed close behind, awkwardly holding the sword that David had given him for the journey. It had been...well...plenty of years since he last held a sword, let alone fought with one.

Neal hoped he wouldn't have to use it. But, even he knew the likelihood of that was slim. He tightened his grip on the hilt, raising it slightly as he trailed behind Belle into the gates of hell. With each step he took the breathing grew louder causing the hairs on his arm to rise.

Suddenly Belle straightened her arm, hitting him square in the chest to stop him. She put her finger to her lip, pointing into the darkness before them. Neal squinted, peering through the shadows to see the silhouette of a beast heavily breathing. Belle raised her finger to her lips once more, nudging her head forward toward a set of stairs that spiraled into more darkness.

Like mice in the middle of the night they scurried past the sleeping beast. From the folds of Belle's dress a book fell to the ground. It slammed hard onto the ground, echoing through the emptiness around them. Two blazing yellow eyes snapped open, staring directly at them.

"Sorry," Belle blurted, unsheathing her own sword.

Neal barely glanced at her. His concern was the yellow eyes that bore down on them as if they were nothing more than a light snack. "Why would you bring a book along anyways?" Where was she keeping it?

"I thought it might come in handy," she defended, taking a step back as the large beast took a step forward. "Obviously," she drawled, "I was wrong."

The beast's foot slammed onto the ground, sticking from the shadows to revel a thick, slick, black paw. Neal tightened his clammy grip on the sword. One hit from the paw could easily detach someones head on their neck. Neal swallowed. He was rather fond of keeping his head on his neck.

The beast stepped from the darkness into the light. It was easily the size of a house, with three heads of a dog, each one about as big as a small car. They growled, and barked, spitting drool all around them, bristling the black fur on their back. The middle one lowered its head, baring its large, shiny, yellow teeth. It threw its head back, then howled.

"We need music to put him to sleep," shouted Belle over the deafening sound.

Neal rounded on her, taking several steps away from the three-headed monster. "How do you know that?"

Belle sheathed her sword, producing a flute from the folds of her dress. "I read it in a book once."

Neal rolled his eyes, frowning slightly. "This isn't Harry Potter, we're in the Underworld, Belle. That's Cerberus."

She gave him a bored look, "I know tha-"

Cerberus bounded forward, snapping in between them. Neal and Belle five separate ways, dodging the sharp cage of his teeth from each head. He ran underneath the beasts legs, feeling the heat of Cerberus's breath chase after him as each one of the three heads tried to reach him, moving their paws as he danced underfoot, trying to cause the dog to trip on its own feet.

Neal slashed his sword against Cerberus's paw, stabbing it in between his ankle. Cerberus howled in pain. One of the heads began to whine while the the other two continued to snap at Neal with more vehemence than the last. He took a deep breath, rolled underneath one of the back paws as Cerberus lifted it high into the air. The beast brought its paw down, almost landing on Neal.

Catching his breath Neal wildly looked around to see if he could find Belle. She was backed into a corner, slashing at the air as one of the heads snarled and reached for her. She brought it down, piercing the dog in the side of its jaw. As it howled in pain, stepping back she dove for the flute.

Belle brought the instrument to her lips, blowing lightly, producing a serene melody that filled the room. Neal stood straight, stilling at the lullaby, entrances by the airy music that danced around him. He glanced to Cerberus, his jaw dropped in disbelief. Two of the heads began to yawn while one of then was already snoring.

Slowly, Neal crept past the beast, careful not to disrupt the music. He stood beside Belle, smiling to himself as Cerberus soundly fell asleep, snoring rather lightly for such a large monster. Belle pocketed the flute, giving him an I-told-you look that was well deserved.

He opened his mouth to commend her, when she shook her heard, whispering, "we can talk later. Let's go before he wakes."

Deciding that he didn't want to fight the vicious beast again he followed after Belle down the spiraling stairs into the darkness. They walked with their hands pressed firmly against the damp wall until they reached a long hallway that led to a lone door.

Belle approached it first, brushing her fingers along the intricate detail etched into the blue metal. Her nail traced the eye of a skull, picking at the dead roses that laced around each one. She frowned, stepping back.

"How do we get in?"

"It's not in one of your books?" he teased.

Belle gave him a look. "Easy there, it was my book that just saved our lives back there with Cerberus." She turned back to the door, cupping her chin with her hand, rapping a finger against her jaw. "You know," she started, reaching into her pocket, "I think this might be handy."

Neal leaned forward, Belle opened her hand, a red fruit just a little smallee than an apple nestled in the center of her palm. His dark brows pulled tightly together. "What is it?"

Belle closed her hand. "It's a pomegranate." She turned toward the door pointing in the center. A skull was carved into the middle, its mouth open and toothless. "I hope this works," she lightly said, placing the pomegranate inside the mouth of the skull.

The mouth began to move, squishing the fruit. Red juices flowed from the mouth of the skull, spilling onto the floor. Belle stepped back, careful not to let the liquid touch her shoes. Neal knelt down, wiping his finger against the floor.

He rubbed two of his fingers together. It was a thick, sticky substance. "This isn't fruit juice," he frowned, wiping the blood off of his finger onto the thigh of his jeans.

Neal stood up just as the door swung open revealing another black room. He sighed. Of course it was dark.

The door closed shut behind them. They were drowned in complete blackness. Belle yelped, pressing her hand against his harm. He tightened his grip on his sword, pointing it forward.

A spotlight drenched them, only surrounding where they stood. Belle held up her hand to her forehead and squinted into the darkness around them. She asked if he thought someone was watching but Neal only shrugged. He was most certain that someone else was in the room with them.

Then, a loud clap echoed. "Bravo," said a dry voice in the dark, "I mean, that was splendid, really. And, for mortals too." The voice chuckled, "and neither of you are related to Hercules either, huh? It's just mind boggling how a human," he pointed at Belle then to Neal, "was able to get past. My. BEAST!"

Fire sparked in the form of a human body, cooling down to reveal a tall, slender man dressed in what looked like a designer suit. Neal crinkled his brows, feeling his lips tug downward. The man walked toward them, fixing the neck of his tie, then brushed his long fingers through his styled brown hair all the while staring at Belle and Neal with a hungry smile.

He extended his hand forward. "Hades, Lord of the Dead, you've probably heard of me."

Belle let go of Neal's arm. "You're Hades?" she sputtered.

Hades pursed his thin lips together, raising his trimmed brows high. "Um...yeah," he scoffed, snapping his fingers. A martini with several olives floating around appeared in his hand. "Thirsty?" Neither one responded, magic was no mystery to them. Hades waved the drink away. "Not to your liking?" he frowned. "How about this?"

A puff of purple smoke appeared at Hades side. A thin man dressed in leather bottoms and a long, red coat that touched the back of his knees fell forward onto the ground. Beneath his straggle of ashen hair the man slowly looked up at Belle and Neal, his hallow eyes barely registered they were there

Belle rushed forward. "Rumple!" She cried, tears in her eyes.

Hades snapped his fingers and Rumplestilskin disappeared. Belle stopped in her tracks, watching with wide eyes as he reappeared at Hades side in chains and floating off the ground. Hades tossed his hand at Belle, sending her flying back into Neal. He was quick to steady himself, catching her as she slammed into him.

"Look, I'm all for a happy ending, I really am," he placed his hand on his heart, giving both Belle and Neal an apologetic look. "But," his eyed hardened, "here's the thing: you see, I run a business and as you know every business has it's rules. If you didn't have rules, why, the whole system would just fall apart!"

He threw his head back and cackled. Neal and Belle exchanged nervous glances. "It's simple. I have few rules here but they're all important nonetheless. Rule number one," Hades cleared his throat, "you don't come WALTZING IN HERE LIKE YOU OWN THE DAMN PLACE!"

Neal pulled Belle back as Hades burst into flames, sparking ashes into the air. Hades inhaled sharply several times, his shoulders heaved up and down until they became slow and relaxed. He ran his fingers through the flames of his hair, fixed his tie, then cleared his throat.

Calmly, Hades began to apologize. The fire extinguished into purple smoke around him as he chuckled, "I'm so sorry, that was rude of me. Where was I?"

Belle crossed her arms. "Rule number two," she firmly stated.

Hades grinned, winking at her. "Ah, yes, I can see why Rumple likes you," he teased, but Belle was not baited. She flicked her thin brows up, waiting for his second rule. Hades frowned, losing his enjoyment in her boring reactions. "Rule number two: I keep my body count to a T here, okay kids. One person leaves then ones person stays."

"What?" Neal and Belle both cried out.

Hades held up his hands in front of him. "Hey, don't look at me, I don't make the rules." He blinked, then casually shrugged, "well, actually I do. I am the Lord of the Underworld, of course."

"So, you could let him go and none of us would have to stay behind?" Belle hopefully asked.

Hades thought for a moment. "Yes!" he exclaimed. Belle's face lit up with a smile. "But, I'm not going to."

Neal stepped forward, knotting his brows tightly together. "Why not?" he demanded, pointing his sword at Hades neck.

Hades glanced down at the tip of the blade. "Careful, Baelfire," he soothing warned, "I only keep my cool for so long."

Neal slowly lowered the sword to his side. A smirk slapped itself across Hades face. "That's a good boy."

Neal ignored his comment, turning to Belle who had tears in her large, brown eyes. He grabbed her by her shoulders spinning her around to face him. "It has to be me," he told her, bracing himself for her argument.

"What?" she squawked, shaking his hands off of bet shoulders. "No," she firmly told him, shaking her head. "No, I have to do it. You have to be with your father. He needs you. You need each other. And you have Henry, you have people waiting for you in Storybrooke." She shook her head, swallowing hard, "no, it has to be me. I have no one waiting for my return."

Neal licked his lips. "Belle, when my father lost me it was your light that led him from the darkness. You're the only one who can do it. He cannot become The Dark One again."

Belle fiercely shook her head, shaking the tears so that they fell down her pink cheeks. "No," she cried, "he lost you once already. He can't lose you again."

He promised Snow that he wouldn't say anything. She had confined in him Belle's secret before they left. Neal hadn't intended to use it against her but now was not the time to argue. He needed her to take Rumple back to Storybrooke and help end the curse. Without him they'll all be lost.

Neal felt his lips tug into a frown. Emma had told Henry once that he had died a hero when she was too ashamed to tell the truth about his thieving father. At least this time it would be true.

"I know about the baby, Belle," he whispered. She gasped, flinging her hand to her stomach. Neal turned sharply on his heel facing Hades who was filing his nails. "I'll do it!" Hades glanced up. "Take me."

Hades smiled, waving the nail file away. "Excellent," he cried, clapping his hands loudly together, "I just need you to sign a few things," a thick stack of papers and a feather pen appeared floating in front of him. "You know just saying that you understand that once I have your soul because you're, you know," he scrunched his nose, "a trade in, that there are no exchanges, all sales are final, that sort of thing."

Hades snapped his fingers and a bottle of ink appeared in his grasp. He held the bottle forward toward Neal. With shaky hands Neal plucked the feather pen from the air, and dipped the tip in the ink jar, maintaining eye contact with Hades the entire time.

Then he began to sign. After he was finished Hades snapped his fingers and the stack of papers, bottle of ink and feather all disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Hades grinned, wrapping his arm around Neal's neck, tugging him toward Rumple.

Hades barked a wild laugh. "Let's get this show on the road!"


End file.
